The use of code division is well known as a means of managing multiple access to a medium such as a radio band or optical fibre. For example, see Klein S. Gilhousen, On the Capacity of a Cellular CDMA System--IEEE Trans. on Vehicular Technology, vol. 40, no. 2, May 1991, pages 303-312. In such a system each subscriber is allocated a code which is used to encode the signal prior to transmission. The technique which will be particularly discussed in this specification is known as `direct-sequence code-division multiple access` (DSCDMA). In this technique the traffic bearer is multiplied by a serial code at a rate known as the `chip rate` (W) which is greater than the bit rate (R) by some factor (W/R) known as the `spreading gain`. The resulting signal is recovered, in the presence of other co-frequency signals, by correlation with the spreading code. The codes allocated to different subscribers are chosen for their orthogonal properties to minimise cross-talk. In practice, however, non-ideal implementation, for example the difficulty or impossibility of maintaining exact synchronisation between the codes, makes true orthogonality impossible to achieve, and unwanted co-frequency channels manifest themselves as noise power in the wanted channel.
When a station requests a channel, the controller sets up the channel, which includes synchronising the code at the controller and the station and then, while the channel remains in operation, controlling the power level of the station so that the received power levels from all the stations with operative channels are the same.